Chances are that you’ve likely heard of ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft, even if you haven’t used them before. For anyone unfamiliar, these services let everyday people turn their car into a cab. Drivers get to earn money providing rides around cities while passengers get a ride that is usually more comfortable and cheaper than using a cab.

These services are booming in popularity. You can now even use them to get back and forth from your cruise.

Uber in New Orleans

Uber is officially approved in all of New Orleans. The service area is much larger than just the city limits. Whether you are coming from Gretna, Slidell, or Covington, Uber is available in your area.

Here’s a map of the current service area:

Note that Uber also picks up and drops off at the New Orleans airport (MSY). Lyft does not at this time. However, both companies offer service in the rest of the city.

Lyft in New Orleans

In addition to Uber, the most popular rideshare service is called Lyft. After leaving the city for many months, Lyft returned to New Orleans in early 2016. That means cruise passengers in the city now have two options to use.

Here is a map of Lyft’s service area in southeastern Louisiana:

As you can see, this is an enormous area, well beyond just the New Orleans city limits. That’s great news if you are an area resident and don’t want to pay for cruise parking.

How much does Uber & Lyft in New Orleans cost?Obviously, it depends on the distance you are going, but it also depends on your level of service. Uber and Lyft offer different levels of service, depending on how nice of a car you want and how many people are riding. Here’s the breakdown of the basic services that most people use:

UberX – Base service, carrying up to four passengers in a typical sedanUberXL – Upgraded service, carrying up to six passengers in an SUVLyft – Base service, carrying up to four passengers in a typical sedanLyft Plus – Service carrying up to six passengers

Below, we took a look at some sample rates between popular spots and the cruise port. Note that Uber & Lyft doesn’t charge extra for more passengers, so you can split these rates between passengers.

Rates to and from the airport are a minimum of $33. That rate will get you to the cruise port, unless there is surge pricing (higher prices for busier times). The flat rate from the airport for a taxi is $36 for two people, or $15 per passenger for three or more people.

How to Get Started With Uber & Lyft

To use Uber or Lyft, you have to download the app on your cell phone and create an account with a payment method. Whenever you are ready for a ride, you’ll pull up the app on your phone and request a ride to your destination (no need to plan ahead). Payment is done through your phone as well, linked to your credit card.